Welding or cutting apparatus.



J. W. WHITFORD.

WELDING ORCUTTING APPARATUS,

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4, 1911.

Patented Jun 4. 1912.

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JOHN WALTER WHITFORID, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW] JERSEY, ASSIGNQR TO DAVIS- BOURNONVILLE ACETYLENE DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, OF PIERRE, SOUTH DA- KOTA, A CQRPORATION. OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

WELDING on CUTTING arraaarcs.

Specification of Letters latent,

Application filed March 4, 1911. Saris! Ito. 612,189.

To all whom it may concern: Be it. known that I, Jbnn WALTER Vi lain roan, a citizen of the United States, a resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Welding or Cutting-Apparatus, of wh ch the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for heating, brazing, welding or cutting, or otherwise treating, metals by means of jets of gases directed upon the work. I The apparatus is designed more especially for using oxygen and acetylene under pres- 1 5- sure. Such Ia device is commonly known as an city-acetylene torch or blow-pipe. In such apparatus it is customary to supply a number of removable and interchangeable tips for each torch or head, these tips varying in size and in the dimensions of the passages therein so that flames of different sizes and qualities for different kinds of work may be had.

In the form of apparatus which has ;26 proved practically successful the mixing of the combustible and combustion-supporting gases for th e'heating or welding flame is effected in the tip, the gases being kept separate until after they enter the tip. In this v .30 form of apparatus it is of the greatest importance to provide sure seals at the joint etween' the head and tip, both to seal the different kinds of gases from each other and from leakage outside of the torch.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide improved sealing means for, this purpose.

The object is, further, to provide seals jjfor as many ducts as may lead from the qvjhead into the tip.

Another object of the invention is to provide, means 'for leading gaseous fluid other v than the oxygen and. acetylene for the flame through the head'into the tip. Al special object is to lead such fluid ,thro gh the sealing seats provided at the junction of the head and tip.. Such fluid ,mayfbe, for example, oxygen, usually under .yhighler tpressure than the other oxygen 60 stream, or cutting, or air or other gaseous medium for cooling the tip and the gases passing therethrough.

.Th invention consists first in a detachab1e,and interchangeable tip having means space, afi'ords a. chamber of suitable capacity for supplying the communicating inlet or inlets in the head.

The conical seats contemplated by this invention have the distinctive property 01'' separating freely upon removal of the external'axially directed pressure holding the tip to the head. Such a structure is entirely vdifferent in nature and properties from a mere gentle taper.

Such a taper joint is selfholding and the less the taper the easier it is to wedge the male member irremovable into its taper socket. Such a taper joint is therefore inoperative for an (my-acetylene blow pipe, one of the first requirements of which is casein interchanging the tips. When it is considered that the head and tip are drawn together by screw means, with which there isplways a tendency to exert more force than is necessary, and that the head and tip remain clamped together for periods of rest that are often considerable and during which the joint is more or less cll'ccled by heat and probably also by the gases, it will be apparent'why a gently tapered joint would render a torch useless because of the jamming of the tip. But with a conical joint of sufiiciently abrupt angle the properties are exactly reversed. \Vhereas with such ataper joint. as described, the greater the external compression the more the reaction of the socket, owing to friction, locks the male member against removal, with this conical joint the more the external compressionthe more the reaction tends to force the tip out of the socket. Hence, while with conical seats, absolutely gas-tight seals may be formed'at both sides oi. the annular channel sander the action of a separate compression inembcr, such as a screw'coupling, the tip is 'held in place by this coupling and not the grasp of the conical socket, and upon release of the coupling the 'seats separate freely. Such conical seats should, however, be

formed of spfiicie'nt acuteness of angle and of sutliciently long sides to insure ample l for the seals at both sides of the annular channel or chamber. or alternating with as many annular channels as may he employed.

The invention also con ists in a torch or the like in which a gaset-ius fluid. other than the oxygen and acetylene for the flame. is brought into the passage therefor in the tip, through the heath and preferably through the scaling seats between the head and tip. such seats being conical as just described or even oi? other form. Thus. the invention includes both a novel form of air-cooled torch and a novel form of cutting torch. according to whether the gaseous fluid is air or other gaseous medium for cooling led to a suitable passage in the tip. or oxygen for cutting led to a special pt'tssage in the burner tip arranged to pl: 4. upon the work in the accompanying drawings showingbv way of illustratio certain preferred embodiments of the im'ention: Figure l is a side elevation of the torch with an air eooled tip: Fig. 2 is an enlarged section through the head and tip of this form of torch; Fig. 3 is a section at right angles to the last. the tip being partly broken away; section through the rear conical portion of the tip' shown inthese. views; Fig. 5 is a view correspon 'ling to Fig, 2. showing a welding tip withoutair-cooling; Fig. it is a section on a plane corresponding to that of Fig. 3 showing a cutting tip in the hard: and Fig. 7 is a. eross-section through the hatndlc portion of the torch.

In these views the numeral .10 indicates the head. which is preferably a. casting of suitable 'torm. Three sockets ll. '12 and 13 are formed in the lower portion of this head. and three. pipes l4. l5 and it) have their ends secured therein- 'lhepipes l4: and 15 are n'eferably pernuinently. or semi permanently secured to the head, and together with the c wing 17 1 -.;istitute a convenient handle for the torch. heretofore. the portion of the acetylene. pipe or conduit. it) inside this casing may be enlarged tor the reception or material for protecting the acetylene gene! ator or tank from a tlaslvback. while the.

oxygen pipe l-t merely passes through the casing as a matter of convenitmce. pipe 10 may be, and preferably is, detachably connected to the head. as by means of a screw coupling 18. and with the handle, as by means of a laterally-projecting arm 19 clamped in a hole by mumsdof a screw 20. The three pipes or conduits are provided with suitable controlling valves 21, 22 and .23. The valve 23 is preferably merely a cut-off valve, but this is not. material. 1

The sockets ll, 1) and 13, together with the three drilled passages 24, 23' and 26 leading therefrom, constitute separate. conduits in the head. The front. part of the head is provided with a. conical socket 2.7

Fig. l is a cross-,

tip. and the three conduits open into this socket. in the preferred construction, the oxygen conduit 'Z-t opens axially at the hack of the socket. and the conduits 25 and it through the side of the socket one in adrance of the other.

The tip 28, 28 28 11 dinal mixing passage or drilled opening 9.9 or 29 encircled by thick walls. This pas sage has its discharge orifice at the front end of the tip so as to play upon the work. .\t the rear the tip is provided with two kinds of inlets for leading the t-wo kinds 0 gases for combustion to said mixing chamher. The arrangement. of these inlet. assages may be ariet Preferably, there is a single axial restricted inlet 30 for the oxygen and lateral inlets 31. for the. actylene. 'lhe acetylene inlets may be. and preferably are, inclined to the mixing pas-sage. The number and size. of the inlet passages may be 'aried according to the particular results desired. The mixing passage 29 may be arranged axially within the tip, as shown at '2.) in Fig. 3, or eccentrically, as shown at 9.9 in Fig. 0. i

The rear part 32 of the tip that enters the head is conical, the. angle thereof and of the conical socket 27 being the same and com-Y paratively abrupt. Both conical faces are preferably ground smooth. An 1111111111 passage, channel or recess 33 is formed within the area of these conical seats, being p0- sitioned so as to eonnuunicate directly with the acetylene conduit and the acetylene inlets ill. Preferably, fliough not necessarily. this annular channel is formed in the conical tip portion 32. Vhile narrow, this channel forms an edequate chamber or reservoir for the supply of the'acetylono inlets. A n oxygen chamber il-Lmay also be provided at. the hack of the Socket 2?. The zones of the conical seats at opposite sides of this an nula r channel form sure and ample seals, the one hand sealing the oxygen and acety-u'o lcne from each other before entering the tip a narrow longituand on the other hand sealing against leak agothrough the joint. outside the torch.

The two forms of tip are provided also with a second annular passage 35 within the area of the conical seats, which annular: passage may also be formed in the tip. This annular passage or recess communicates (iirectly with the. third conduit 26 in the head 7 when the tip is in place.

oxygen. In the preferred construction the The conical seat 12am BEST AVNLABLE cow portion of the tip containing this oirygen passage terminates considerably short of the front end of the tip, and the passage is continned by a removable nozzle or sub-tip 37 se'cured to said portion, as by being screwed therein. By this means't-he oxygen duct is caused to discharge-alongside the duct for the heating mixture, and preferably slightly in advance thereof. I

In the form of tip shown in Figs. 2, 3, and the annular passage 35 communicates by'means of inlets- 38 with a longitudinal j-pzlssage 39, annular in cross-section, which surrounds the, mixing passage 29. While 1'55 this heath lilre passage'may be formed in a .variety of ways, I prefer toseeure a sleeve 40, by forcing-or otherwise, on: an annular shoulder 41 at the base of the body part 280 of the tip; the sleeve constituting pa of the tip. \Vhen this'form of tip is use and-the pipe 16 is connected up with a source of air under pressure, or other suitable cooling gas, instead of oxygen for cutting as in the other instanccfa cooling envelopeis caused to flow along or over the tip. In order to prevent this annular stream of air from mingling-with the flame, a shield 42 is attaehed to or formed on the front-end of the t-ip, this-shield being constructed and arranged to cause the air discharged from the passage to flow back over the tip.-

In both forms of tip the base of the conical part 32 is preferably larger than the adjacent part of the tip. A coupling sleeve 43 engages threads or their equivalents on the head and by means of a flange depresses on this enlarged base, so as to draw the t lp into the head and hold it there.

Fig. 5 illustrates a welding tip 28" without the air-cooling feature attached to the same form of head shown in the other views.

This tip is essentially similar to the other -forms of tip illustrated, except that it is provided with neither the annular air passage 39 nor the cutting oxy en passage 36,

and consequently lacks also't e annulanpesf sage 35.

In operation, the tips are instantly afiaehable to or detachablefrom the head. The conical seats separate at once upon unscrewing of the coupling. With the same torch body, either a cutting torch, an air-cooled torch or a welding torch without air-cooling may be had, by attaching one kind of tip or the other and by connecting with a source of air or cutting oxygen under pressure or.

neither, as the case may be. The onygen and acetylene for the welding .or cutting flame also preferably enter the torch under considerable pressure.

A material advantage of the torch provided with the cutting tip shown in Fig. 6 is that the tipmay be swive'led in the head and then clamped so as to bring the jets from the mixing passage 29 and the cutting 'oitygen passage 36 into alinement with the desired line ofcutting, with the heating x flame in-the lead, the passage 36 being always in communication with the duct in the head for cutting oxygenby virtue of the annular passage 35. It is the practice to advance the heating and cutting jets along the line of thecuts with the heating jet in the lead, and in order to do this, heretofore,

it has often been necessary to hold the-torch in an awkward'manner. With my construc tion the torch can be held in the most convenient manner and the cutting tip adjusted so as to cutin any direction.

, \Vhile I have shown and particularly described certain embodiments of my invention, it will be-understood Ithat many substitutions, omissions and changes may be made without departing from the invention.

I claim: 1. A device of the character described comprising a head provided with a conical socket and separate conduits for combustible and combustion-supporting gases, a burner tip provided with a mixing and discharge passage, separate inlets ,for'the two kinds of gases to said assage and a conical rear portion,- the sur aces of'said conical tip portion and conical'socketbeing formed as similar abrupt-angled freely-separable conical seats, of a. conicityl greater than the critical angle of sticking, said seats having an annu ar channel formed between them interof said inlets in communication with the. corresponding conduit in the head, the portions of the seats at opposite sides of said channel affording inner and outer gas-tight seals of-amplgwidth, and means for forcing the tip and h d together, said tip being held in place by-saiid means alone.

mediate their length for placing one kind 2. A device of the character described comprising a head provided with a,conical portion of th'et-ip affording inner and outer gas-tight seals of. ample-width, and means for forcing the tip and headtogether, said 3. A-..device of "the character described, comprising ahead and a removable. and retip being held in'plaz by said means alone.

placeable tip supported and supplied there- I b 'said tip having a mixing passage discl isirging at its forward part and inlets AvAiLAsLe thereto at its rear part for the two kinds of gases to be mixed. said tip having also an independent longitudinal passage for a gaseous cooling medium, said head having conduits communicating with said inlets and a third conduit communicating with said passage for cooling iiicdiunn and the head and tip being further provided with coi'iperating sealing seats, sealing the three kinds of lluids from each other and from the atmosphere where the conduits in the head coniniunicate with the said inlets and passage.

4. A device of the. character den-ribed.

comprising a head and a removable and replaeeahle tip supported and supplied thereby, said tip having a mixing pa sage discharging at its forward part mid inlets thereto at its rear part for the two kinds of gases to be mixed, said tip having also an independent longitudinal passage for n. gaseous cooling medium, said pa. age bein annular in cross-section and encircling sait mixing passage. said head having conduits communicating with said inlets and a third conduit (,Ullilllltlllttillllgj with said passage for cooling medium. and the head and tip being further provided with cot'iperat-ing scaling seats. sealing the'tlii'ec kinds of lluids from tllt'll other and from the atmosphere where the conduits in the head coinmunicate with the said inlets and passage.

5. In a device of the character dcscribctb a tip having a mixing passage and inlets thereto for the two kinds of gases and also a longitudinal passage for gaseoug cooling tluid. and a head provided with conduits for supplying said inlets and another conduit; therein for leading cooling tluid to said cooling passage.

(5. Apparatus ol' the character described, comprising a head. three separate conduits for gaseous lluidsleading into said head, said conduits being extended separately within the head, and a tip provided with a mixing passage and two sets of inlets thereto supplied by two of said conduits, said' tli'pd being also provided with a pas age TOP-ant cooling gaseous medium, said pas age boingsupplied by the third conduit.

'4'. In a device of the character describeduSO, a head having conduits for welding gases and a conduit for a gaseous tluid for cool ing, and a removable burner structure aim ing scaling engagement with the heath staidburner structure being provided with a loli- 5.3 gitudinal passage for the welding gases land an encircling longitudinal pass-age annular in cross-section for the cooling tluid-amid passages both being provided at thelurcar with inlets and means establishing ttilllnill nica tion between said inlets and conduits irrespective of relative rotation" and a shield on the forward end of the burner strul'tnre constructed and arranged to dellcct. the (ll tl' rent of cooling tluid backward. a o: 8. In a device of the character described-t t a head having-conduits for welding gases and a conduit fora gaseous tluid for eoolingu and a ieniovable burner structure having sealing engagement, with the heath said burner structure comprising a body having: a shoulder on its rear part and a longitudinal passage therein for welding gases, a sleeve secured on said shoulder and forming with the body a passage annular in crosssection, the body part of the burner structure having inlet passages leading to'said annular passage and an annular groove, communicating on the one hand with said inlets and on the other hand with t.lie"eonduit for cooling tluid in the head. Pl In witness whereof I have signed iny} name in the presence of two subscri Witt l nesses. e M

JOHN \VALTER \VHITFOID. \Vitnesses: re llti C. B. \Vommna, fit. \V. BARNES. 9- l i l I l l "l i i lll -"g tll 'l i'll.

I ll lil' t L 'lil. Iliad 

